Is the Land Druid's Nature's Sanctuary feature useless against grapples and shoves?

Question

The Land Druid's Nature's Sanctuary feature states (emphasis mine):

[...] When a beast or plant creature attacks you, that creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your druid spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature must choose a different target, or the attack automatically misses. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. [...]

It says that if a creature fails the saving throw and does not choose a new target, their attack misses; however, grapples and shoves cannot hit nor miss. If a creature makes a grapple or shove attempt and fails the saving throw, what happens? Does the feature simply not help against grapples and shoves even though the creature still makes the saving throw?

Answer 1

It does not protect from grapples and shoves

You have correctly identified the problem.

When a beast or plant creature attempt to grapple or shove you, they must:

1. Make a Wisdom saving throw. Grapple and shove are attacks.
2. On a failed save, choose:
   • change target
   • keep you as the target
3. If they choose to keep you as the target, the attack automatically miss, which is irrelevant for grapple and shove.
4. If they win the contest, you are grappled or shoved.

The miss does not affect the outcome of the contest, so the feature does not protect you from grapple and shove.

Note that some creatures apply grapple and shove as an additional effect after their attack hit. This feature prevents the hit, thus protect you from the after-effect.